What is the standard that must be met in order to be accredited?

Before driver accreditation is issued, Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria (CPVV) must be satisfied that a person:

will provide the services consistently with the Public Care Objective

is technically competent to provide the services

is medically fit and healthy enough to provide the services, and

would perform all of the tasks and duties of an accredited driver in an appropriate way.

Criminal History Records

Category 1 offences

If you have been found guilty or convicted of a ‘category 1 offence’, the law states that CPVV must refuse your application. If your application for driver accreditation is refused because you have been found guilty or convicted of a ‘category 1 offence’ you can then apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for driver accreditation.

‘Category 1 offences’ include:

serious violent and sexual offences

sexual offences committed against a child or a person with a cognitive impairment

Category 2 offences

If you have been found guilty or convicted of a ‘category 2 offence’, the law states that CPVV must refuse your application unless you have shown that the issue of accreditation is appropriate. In assessing the application of a person who has been found guilty or convicted of a ‘category 2 offence’, the Case Assessment Team considers whether the offence(s) are relevant to:

Category 3 offences

If you have been found guilty or convicted of a ‘category 3 offence’, the law states that CPVV may refuse to issue you accreditation on that basis. The same assessment that occurs in relation to a ‘category 2 offence’ is undertaken by the Case Assessment Team in relation to a ‘category 3 offence’.

‘Category 3 offences’ include all offences that are not ‘category 1 offences’ or ‘category 2 offences’.

Driving history

CPVV will access your driving history in assessing your application for driver accreditation. Accredited drivers are expected to maintain the highest standards of safe driving. Driving infringements indicate unsafe driving behaviour. Driving infringements and driver licence cancellations or suspensions may result in concerns about your ability to provide services consistently with the Public Care Objective; particularly safe and comfortable services.

Assessing criminal history and driving history

The Case Assessment Team must assess whether a criminal history indicates that a person is able to provide services consistently with the public care objective and appropriately perform the tasks and duties of an accredited driver. When making an assessment the Case Assessment Team will look at the following factors:

the nature and gravity of your offence and its relevance to providing a commercial passenger vehicle service

the period of time since you committed the offence

whether a finding of guilt or conviction was recorded

the sentence imposed for the offence

your age when the offence was committed

in relation to any sexual offence, the age of any victim

whether or not the conduct that constituted your offence has been decriminalised since the offence was committed

your behaviour since committing the offence (including whether there has been a pattern of offending behaviour)

the likelihood of you committing another such offence in the future, in particular, any future threat to a child or other vulnerable person, and

any information given by you.

As far as they are relevant, the same factors are considered in assessing your driving history. Additional factors that apply to driving histories are:

whether the infringement has been paid

whether you are contesting the infringement

whether you have made a statement under the Road Safety Act 1986 nominating another person as responsible for the infringement, and

whether another person nominated by you as responsible for the infringement has admitted responsibility for the infringement or not.

Providing information to support your application

CPVV will send you a letter or email advising you if your application for driver accreditation has been sent to the Case Assessment Team. This will happen after you receive a copy of your criminal history records (or National Police History Check - NPHC).

Once your application is sent to the Case Assessment Team you can expect to receive a letter from the Case Assessment Team some weeks later. The letter from the Case Assessment Team will tell you precisely what the concerns are with your application and provide you with an opportunity to respond to those concerns before a decision is made to either issue you with driver accreditation or refuse your application for driver accreditation.

You do not have to wait for the Case Assessment Team to write a letter to you. You can make a written submission at any time in support of your application. A written submission may include:

your reasons why you can be trusted to provide commercial passenger vehicle services consistently with the Public Care Objective

explain any changes that have occurred that reduce the risk of you committing further crimes or reduces the risk of you breaking the road safety rules

information relevant to the factors listed above

signed written references from people who are not related to you and state your criminal or driving history of which they are aware.

You can make a written submission in support of your application by sending it to CPVV: